Suffice to say, this is a year unlike any other, and wine is really key to getting through it with our sanity intact.
When we started 2020, we did envision a summer of #RoséAllDay, but in exotic destinations like the South of France or the Greek Isles, not our back patio. But when life throws you a curveball, you drink your way through it, right?
Trying new wines, particularly those that we can order direct to our door, has been a fun way to experiment in the safety of our own home, so when the opportunity to test a well-priced new option came our way, we were excited.
Avaline is the product of two female powerhouses, actor-turned-wellness author Cameron Diaz and entrepreneur Katherine Power (Who What Wear, Versed Skincare), who bonded over the desire to create something that would stem from organic grapes and be manufactured without additives, all without sacrificing taste or style.
The two started their journey in 2018. Powers and Diaz immersed themselves into the wine world, learning everything from farming to winemaking and distribution to retail.
Diaz says, “I enjoyed wine for many-a-year and never questioned it. Not once. I actually figured it was the most responsible alcohol choice because it was made with fermented grapes! But I had no idea of the process. One of the first conversations Katherine and I had about making a cleaner wine was ‘what are we going to add to it?’ We soon learned it wasn’t what you added, it’s what you didn’t add.”
The two agreed that they’d start with fewer, better things, making just two varietals to start: a crisp and clean rosé and a mineral-driven, dry white. Next, after extensive research, they identified winemakers in France and Spain who owned vineyards and could produce these styles at the scale necessary for Avaline to achieve its mission.
Avaline feels strongly that organic grapes are the foundation of delicious, clean wine. All of their grapes are grown with low-to-no irrigation in certified-organic vineyards, ensuring that they are not farmed with harsh chemical pesticides. Then during the production of the wine, Avaline’s winemakers use as few ingredients as possible, setting a new industry standard by making clean wine accessible to everyone.
“As Cameron and I spent two years developing, tasting and refining Avaline, we could never have imagined the world in which we all find ourselves today. But it’s clear to us that, as we navigate the important complexities of 2020, it has become more vital than ever to find joy in small, everyday moments,” says Power.
We sampled the rosé ($20) on a recent weeknight and found it to be enjoyable and comparable in both taste and quality to other, bigger-name options in the space. The wine is a bit darker than a traditional rosé, almost pink-orange in color, with an easy-to-open screwtop (perfect for picnics or beach nights). While we can’t say that we felt any better the next morning (in comparison to our usual Whispering Angel) we didn’t notice any after taste or lingering effects, either.
The brand also offers a crisp white option, as well as a new-to-market red, a light-to-medium-bodied Côtes du Rhône, a blend of Grenache and Syrah grapes, perfect for the healthy transition to fall.
